Tank construction



Nov. 18 1924- F. c. BUCHANAN TANK CONS TRUCTI ON Filed June 27. I922e@m-EBE@MEEE@E@@E B E wmwmsmmammmm maa @EEE WITNESSES ATTOR N EIYPatented Nov. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

C. BUCHANAN, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, AS SIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ANDREWA. KRAMER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

TANK CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed June 27, 1922. Serial No. 571,167.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND O. BUCHANAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates,

residing at Kansas City, in the county of ing means for joining themetal plates or sheets, of which the tank' is constructed, whereby allleakage at the seams is el1m1- nated.

Another'object is to provide means for fastening the overlapping edgesof the metallic sheets or plates, such means comprising threaded boltshaving nuts applicable thereto and so formed as to crowd metallicpacking into the previously punched openings in the lates, and in closeadherence toth'e threa s of the bolt, and to retain the same in suchcondition to eflectually prevent leakage of the contents of the tankaround the fasteners.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained froma consideration of the following detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification, it being understood that while the drawing shows apractical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to strictconformity with the showing thereof, but may be changed or modified, solong as such changes or modifications mark no material departure fromthe salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several figures:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a one-unit tank constructed inaccordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail front view of two of the fasteners. forthe overlapping edges of two adjacent sheets or plates, one of saidfasteners being shown in section;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section of one of the fasteners, taken on theline 3-3 of Figure 2;.

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the parts of the fastener beforebeing tightened up;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fi re 4, showing. a slightly modified formo packing used to prevent leakage;

Fi 'ure 6 is a View similar to Figure 3, showing the hole in the outeroverlapping edge of one of the sheets or plates reamedfor the receptionof the metallic packing, which is turned or crowded into the space bythe nut;

Figure 7 is a face view of the rear side of the nut used in connectionwith the fee tener.

'In the building of tanks of whatever capacity for the storage ofvarious kinds of fluids, sheets or plates of steel, of varying sizes,proportions and thickness, depending on the size of the tank, are usedto form the walls thereof. Thes sheets which are generally rectangularin form and preferably somewhat elongated or oblong, are provided with aseries of spaced holes adjacent to their edges, previously punchedtherein While in a fiat condition, in predetermined spacing, said sheetsor plates to be afterwards bent into the proper arc of a circle,depending upon the diameter of the tank to be constructed, and to have alongitudinal offset along one long side edge for the purpose ofoverlapping the adjacent edge of the next sheet or plate, with the holesof the coacting series in the two plates in substantial alinement.

The holes, however, in many cases fail to register, due to imperfectpunching, when the plates or sheets are applied in position on the tank,and it has been the custom, heretofore, to ream either a portion of theinner or the outer hole to provide a passageway for the rivet orfastener, which is a timeconsuming, laborious and expensive operation.This treatment provides, in effect, an elongated hole or'slot, extendingsometimes vertically or horizontally, or at an angle and which, in thehundreds of instances, where this is resorted to, around a-large tank,permits of a great amount of play or bellying of the plates or sheetswhen the tank is filled, and subjected to the tremendous pressure of thecontents of the tank, thus resulting in many irremediable leaks aroundthe numerous fasteners.

,- and shape of the said hole surrounding the tend to the head of thesame,

bolt beingefl'ectually closed against leakage by novelmeans of forcingmetallic or plastic packing thereinto.

The threads on the shank of the bolt eX- and the said "head is locatedon the inside of the tank,

and the packing which is formed of lead, babbitt or any other suitablemalleable or plastic material is forced into the space -around the boltof whatever shape, whether eccentric or concentric, by the turningaction of the nut, which is concave on its inner face, such actioncrowding the packing into the'threads of the bolt for a distance andalso into the outer hole, and sometimes into the inner hole if it isfound necessary to apply additional packing in order to effectually stopa leak around the bolt. The packing may bein the form of a washer orwashers, or a length of wire of proper material wound around the shankof the bolt and, after the nut is applied and turned up, under heavypressure, the said packing is forced, by reason of, the turnin action ofthe concave nut, into a thread shape closely following the threads ofthe bolt which forms a perfect closure and will prevent such penetratingfluids, as gasoline or other fluids, from finding their way out aroundthe threads of the bolt. p Referring to the drawing there is illustratedin Figure 1 a relatively small tank consisting of what may be termed oneunit, it being understood that other units may be mounted thereon toincrease the capacity, and that such units maybe of any desireddiameter. Each unit is preferably made up of a plurality of verticallydisposed sheets or'plates 1 of steelor other suitable metal, such sheetsbeing preferably oblong shape, and provided along the edges with spacedholes 2, vone of said longitudinal edges being further provided with anoifset 3 in order to allow the same to lie against the outer face of theplain edge portion of the next adj acen plate or sheet, in a well knownmanner.

In assembling the sheets or plates, it is often found that the holes donot register, sometimes overlapping each other to such an extent that itis impossible to pass the rivet therethrough when such fasteners areused, and it then'hecomes necessary toreain j here. to the plates,

the holes which results in an opening much larger than the shank of'therivet, and the impinging of the heads of the rivets againstthe faces ofthe plates is not sufficient to stop the passage ofthe flu id;in thetank. around the shank of the rivet. By the use of the bolts 41, asshown, which are small enough in diameter to pass through the space inthe average holes where overlapping, it is generally, in the majority ofcases, unnecessary to do any reaming. The head 5 of the bolt, which" ispreferably square is located on the ins'ideof the tank and restsbetweenthe flanges of a vertically disposed channel iron ,6, whichare ingeneral use'in the construction of'tanks of this class, saidironextending from top to bottom of thetank-jand serving to strengthenand holdthe side plates in position, and also serving to prevent; thebolt from turn- 1ng.

As clearly shown in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6, the shank of the bolt isthreaded from the head 5 to the end of the same, and thenonregistrability of the holes 2 is also illustrated in said figures,which is merely illustrative of some of the many conditions,

which are found with relation to the holes.

A packing strip 7, which is formed of some special rubber or othersuitable packing adapted. for tank purposes is interposed betweenthe'abutting faces of the sheets 1 and the same istreated on its faceswith a coating of tank cement so as to closely adand'this flexible strip7 may or may not be provided with suitable holes or passages 8 for thepassage of the shank of the bolt, as it is possible to force the latterthrough the strip at the proper point without previously punching thesame. v I

A nut 9 is adapted to be threaded on the free end of the 1 shank of thebolt which is located at the outer side of the tank, and

said nut is provided on its inner face with a concavity 10, into whichis adapted to be crowded or jammed a malleable or plastic washer orwashers 11 which are placed on or over the shank of the bolt, as shownin Figure 4: of the drawing, and which, when the nut is turned up withgreat forced into the irregular space or spaces around the shank of thebolt, as shown at 12 in Figure 3. The soft, pliable metal fills inbetween the threads of the bolt and forms a tight joint of considerablelength along the shank of the bolt, and at the same. time impinges thewalls of the outermost opening 2, even though'the latter may be eccen-.fitting tightly against the outer face of the ofiset portion 3 of theplate 1, thus serving,

force, is

mac

in conjunction with the flexible strip 7, to prevent any leakage of thecontents of the tank at any point along the seam.

In most cases one packing Washer 11 may be found sufficient to form aperfect closure, and in others two and even more may be found necessary,and in place of such washerlike formation, the packing may consist oflead or other wire cut to proper length to give a few turns around theshank of the bolt, as indicated at 14, in Figure 5, and the same may beforced, by the turning aCtIOn of the nut, into substantially a solidmass to fill the space or spaces and form a tight joint as before.

As shown in Figure 6, the hole formed in the offset portion 3 of theplate 1 may be reamed out to provide a tapering or conical wall 15 toform a passageway for the packing which may be forced into the sameunder the action of the nut for the purposes set forth.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple and effective method ofconnecting the seams of metal tanks has been provided, which eliminatesa great amount of the labor of constructing the same, by doing away withthe expensive process of applying rivets as in the ordinary method ofconstruction, and that the nuts and bolts may be employed, together withthe novel form of packing, to provide leak-proof joints to withstand thepressure of even the maximum size tanks.

What is claimed is:

1. In tank construction, a plurality of plates provided with marginalseries of holes and adapted to overlap each other with the holes inalinement, bolts traversing the alined holes, each bolt having the shankthreaded from the head to the free end thereof with the shank of lessdiameter than the holes to permit the insertion thereof through holeswhich may be partially out of alinement, a nut adapted to be threadedonto the shank of each bolt and having its inner face provided with aconcavity, and pliable packing placed around the sliank of each boltoutside the overlapping plates and adapted to be directly forced by thenut into the space around said shank at the holes so as to fill thelatter, into the threads of the bolt and into the concavity of the nutwhen the nut is tightened.

2. In tank construction, a plurality of metallic plates each providedwith a marginal series of holes, said plates being overlapped at theirmargins with the holes in substantial alinement, and having a packingstrip between the overlapping margins, a concavity formed in the outerface of the outer plate at each hole. bolts having continuously threadedshanks of smaller diameter than the holes to permit the insertionthereof through holes which may be partially out of alinement. saidbolts traversing the several holes and said packing strip, nuts threadedto the shanks and having concavities in their inner faces, and pliablepacking surrounding the shanks of the bolts between the outer face ofthe outer plate and the inner, concave faces of the nuts and adapted tobe directly forced by the turning action of the nuts, into the threadsof the bolts and the spaces surrounding the bolts at the holes andfilling the latter, and also into the concavities of the nuts.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature.

FERDINAND C. BUCHANAN.

